Posts Tagged ‘Jim Buford’

With his wife, Susan, close at hand in the ballroom of the Sheraton Westport, Urban League chief Jim Buford
exuded over his recent trip to Israel when he opined, “Israel needs to exist and there are 22 Arab countries that are determined not to allow it to do so.”  Turning to the immigration bill, he said that he is opposed to it, because it’s profiling and “we shouldn’t judge how people appear. And, besides, the national Urban League office is also in opposition to it.” Buford, the $220,000 a-year president and CEO of the St. Louis league, confided he was a Republican, while working for former Gov. Kit Bond in the 1980s, but has since switched to become a stalwart Democrat. “I once worked with President Obama, since the league also covers St. Clair (Illinois), and I feel he’s making a change and people don’t like change,” he said.  Buford has raised the current budget to $20 million from $1.75 million when he was appointed to his post 25 years ago.

Seen here ‘n there were: civil rights lawyer, the 93 year-old beloved Frankie M. Freeman with her daughter and son-in-law, Shelbe and Ellis Bullock; Bryan Thomas, president of the Urban League Professionals; mistress of ceremonies Darlynn Bosley, wife of former mayor Freeman Bosley, Jr,; Rebecca M. Barnes, guild president; Brenda Clayton-Davis, brunch chairwoman.

Musical chores before and during the brunch were capably handled by “Lady Jazz” Mae Wheeler, the Hazelwood High Jazz ensemble and The Jazz Edge group.

The Urban League’s Jim Buford is one of 17 state and local elected officials, political activists and leading religious/community leaders heading for Israel to explore critical foreign policy and national security issues affecting both Israel and the U.S. Wrote Buford: “I’m looking forward to visiting Israel to meet with both Jewish and Palestinian leaders.  We will cover the entire  country in seven days and gather information in order to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of the present issues facing the areas.”  The tour is sponsored by the American Israel Education Foundation. Others from our town on the wing:  William Young; the Rev. E.G. Shields; the Rev. Emery Washington and the Rev. Earl Nance. . .Your eyes weren’t deceiving you if you caught a glimpse of Kim Slay, St. Louis’ First Lady, toiling at First Bank in Creve Coeur. She has become admin. asst. to regional prez Joe Ambrose.  Cornered there, she chuckled and said, “When we married, I thought we’d become millionaires”. . . It’s a short road from Mayor Slay’s office to the Oval Office in DC for US Marine Corps and Iraq War vet Tim Embree, who now works for a veterans service group. The former staffer in Slay”s office was among those eyeing President Obama sign the Caregivers & Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act into law. Embree is married to to Kristin Hinman, a former RFT scribe. . .It’s not just the news – EVERYTHING’S going online.  The latest: yoga.  Karen Jones has sold her popular seven year-old Marbles Yoga Studio in Lafayette Park and is now going world wide, offering classes via her new yoga video production company which features online streaming video/on demand yoga classes, “suitable for all levels and abilities.”  For more info, go to http//www.vesperyoga.com/. . .U.S.Rep. Roy Blunt, 7th Dist. will head to the Marilyn and Sam Fox manse on May 23 to raise funds for his run for Sen. Kit Bond’s seat. . .Mike Risk of  9th  Street  Deli, fame has acquired with his partners The Mack on Oakland Avenue. . .Viviano & Son on The Hill is now vending its own line of xtra virgin olive oil imported from Palermo.

While Jim Buford, honcho of the St. Louis Metropolitan Urban League (UL) held the
attention of the 1,200-member audience at the Millenium Hotel, Marc Morial, the UL’s  national prez, took a shot at the U.S. Congress.  Morial pushed President Obama‘s concept of a vote up or vote down on the Health Care Reform bill and then called the lack of action by Congress “troubling.”  Meanwhile, local pols lined up to glad-hand Morial on the 100th anniversary of the New York-based UL. Hizzoner Slay spoke of Morial’s insightful leadership skills, when the two were colleagues with the Conference of Mayors. Morial was then mayor of New Orleans. Slay proclaimed the month of March as “The National Urban League’s Empowering Communities and Changing Lives” month.  Not to be outdone, Charlie Dooley and Alvin Parks did their ceremonial pitches after which Mark A. Kern, chairman, St. Clair County, mused, “I will proclaim it the national Urban League of the Century,” which got a rousing cheer.  Awards were presented for accomplishments in helping people in the African-American community to:  the Rev. Michael T. Jones; Cheryl Heard of Racial Harmony; Citi Corp., Faye Robinson and Habitat for Humanity.  The city unit of the league welcomed to its board Thomas Irwin of Civic Progress at which time some hisses were heard.  On hand for the gambol were:  Col. Bill and Cheryl Young; Susan Buford; U.L. chairman and former Veiled Prophet Stephen C. Jones; Emily Pitts; Melanie DeLeo; Frankie M. Freeman; the Rev. E.D. Shields; Katherine Osborn; Johnny Furr; Dr. Karl Wilson; John and Emma Moten, Jr.,; Henry Givens; Zelema Harris; Dennis Golden; Debra Denham; Christine Chadwick; the Rev. Sammie Jones; Metro Evening Whirl’s Gentry Trotter and St. Louis American’s Donald Suggs. After he was introed to revenue collector Greg F.X. Daly, Morial joshed, “Hey, I don’t owe any taxes.  I’m all paid up!”  And, head table guests eyeballed what some described as a 5-carat diamond ring on St. Louis Comptroller Darlene Green‘s finger.  Word was that she recently got hitched to businessman Melvin Hayes.